Did you know that the very first planes to touchdown at and take off from Denver’s original Stapleton International Airport in 1937 were flown by United?
Stapleton was decommissioned in 1995 and replaced by the Denver International Airport (DEN) most of us know today, and this year we are celebrating the 85th anniversary of United’s serving DEN, which has become the third-busiest airport in the world and, at 33,531 acres, the largest in the U.S. As the airport and the Denver region have rapidly evolved over the last two decades, we have been adapting with them, all while offering travelers nonstop access to more than 180 destinations worldwide.
If you frequently fly out of Denver, you’ll notice that United has helped the Mile High City expand its global reach by providing service to 17 international destinations in nine countries this year. With four daily flights to Europe—two to London-Heathrow (LHR), one to Frankfurt (FRA), and one to Munich (MUC)—and service from Denver to Tokyo-Narita (NRT) expected to resume later this year, United flies more international routes than any airline in Denver’s history.
Denver is known not only for having the tallest air traffic control tower, but it’s also home to United’s global Flight Training Center, the largest pilot, flight attendant, and maintenance personnel training facility in the world. United broke ground on an expansion of the facility in June, furthering our commitment to the region. The new four-story building is located on 23 acres of land near the airport, and it will be able to house 12 additional advanced flight simulators—meaning we will have more than 52 simulators for pilot training—as well as more training devices, classrooms, and offices.
Currently, United employs more than 7,000 aviation professionals and employees in Denver who support our day-to-day operations at the airport and Flight Training Center—but we aren’t stopping there. Our newly expanded Flight Training Center will assist United in hiring more than 10,000 pilots by 2030.
Our commitment to Denver spans far beyond the airport, as well. As the official partner airline of the Denver Broncos, United engages with the players and the team frequently to host recruiting fairs and gate celebrations during football season. In August, United held a recruiting event at Empower Field, which helps us continue to grow within the Denver area.
Beyond workforce development and football, United has also invested in local communities by establishing long-term partnerships with the Food Bank of the Rockies and Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado. Denver-based United employees frequently volunteer and partner with the Food Bank of the Rockies to organize and distribute food for under-served communities. They also participate in recreation and habitat improvement projects through the Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado organization, which aims to address critical on-the-ground needs such as tree planting, trail construction, and flood and fire mitigation.
Denver International Airport and United will be commemorating the 85th anniversary with celebrations and events throughout the community for the rest of the year. Join us in the Mile High City!
